Snake Dance
The March Violets Lyrics


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Take my hand said Cleopatra
Take me to the fires to burn
Save your passion and your kinship
Take me to the flames the flames
The flames the flames

Pay my price in pearls of wisdom
Tell me stories of my fame
Scented oil on troubled water
Take my love in vain

Break the heart break the heart
Break the heart of my very soul
Cast it on the desert sand
This dance catches fire with me

Take my body clean of blame
I am the heat inside the flame
Take my body clean of shame
I am the heat inside the flame
I am the heat I am the heat

Play my song the serpent whispered
Golden skin and eyes of flame
Painted heart and painted nails
She ran her fingers down the scales

Just back from the snake dance baby
I love you when you shed your skin
Just back from the snake dance baby
Open the door lets go in

Just back from the snake dance baby
I love you when you burn me up
Just back from the snake dance baby
This dance catches fire with me





Snake dance

Overall Meaning

The song "Snake Dance" by The March Violets tells a story of passion and danger, embodied by Cleopatra, who leads the singer to the fires to burn. Cleopatra is a symbolic figure, representing both seduction and power, the ultimate temptress who is both alluring and destructive. The chorus, "Break the heart of my very soul," further emphasizes the intensity of this feeling and how it has consumed the singer. The lyrics also touch upon the theme of sacrifice, with Cleopatra calling upon the singer to pay the price in pearls of wisdom and take her love in vain. The snake dance is a ritualistic dance that represents the shedding of one's skin, a metaphor for rebirth, renewal and transformation.


Line by Line Meaning

Take my hand said Cleopatra
Cleopatra represents the singer’s desire for an exotic and passionate relationship, and this line shows their willingness to follow this person anywhere.


Take me to the fires to burn
The singer is asking to be taken to a place of intensity and danger, where they can experience excitement and risk.


Save your passion and your kinship
The singer is not interested in a traditional relationship or emotional connection, but rather wants only the rush of intense experience.


Take me to the flames the flames
The repetition of ‘flames’ emphasizes the artist’s desire for the thrill of dangerous experiences and suggests that they may be addicted to these feelings.


Pay my price in pearls of wisdom
The artist is asking for enlightenment, knowledge or experience in exchange for their time and energy.


Tell me stories of my fame
The singer is seeking validation or affirmation of their worth or importance.


Scented oil on troubled water
This line refers to the practice of putting fragrant oils on water to calm waves and suggests a desire for peace or tranquility.


Take my love in vain
The artist is giving their affection and devotion, but there is a sense it may not be appreciated or reciprocated, and that they may be willingly participating in this dynamic.


Break the heart break the heart
This line could be interpreted both as a plea to the other person to open themselves up emotionally, or as a willingness to be hurt and broken by others.


Break the heart of my very soul
The artist is willing to risk total emotional devastation for the sake of intense experience and connection with another person.


Cast it on the desert sand
The heartbreak and pain will be left behind, forgotten or abandoned like something worthless.


This dance catches fire with me
The song and the experience of passion and emotional intensity ‘catches fire’ with the artist, consuming them and taking over their emotions.


Take my body clean of blame
The singer is willing to give their physical self totally to another person, without any blame or guilt attached.


I am the heat inside the flame
The singer is confident and empowered by their own passion, and is becoming a force to be reckoned with.


Take my body clean of shame
The singer wants to be free of the guilt or embarrassment that can come with intimate experiences.


Play my song the serpent whispered
The idea of a serpent (a symbol of danger and temptation) whispering suggests the artist is drawn to things that are dangerous and exotic.


Golden skin and eyes of flame
The person the artist is singing about is described as having an exotic and intense appearance.


Painted heart and painted nails
These images suggest someone who presents an image (of beauty or passion) that may not be entirely real or authentic.


She ran her fingers down the scales
The ‘scales’ might refer to both the scales of a snake or the scales of a balance, implying someone who is in control or has a power dynamic in the relationship.


Just back from the snake dance baby
The artist is using the image of a snake dance (which is often provocative and dangerous) to describe their own emotional state or experience.


I love you when you shed your skin
The artist seems to love the transformative or evolving nature of the person they are singing about, and is drawn to the idea of shedding or leaving behind old selves and experiences.


Open the door lets go in
The artist is urging the other person to engage in some kind of dangerous or exciting experience.


I love you when you burn me up
This line suggests that the singer is willing to be hurt or consumed in the name of passion, and that they are attracted to the genuinely intense or dangerous aspects of emotion and connection.




Contributed by Jackson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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